Shoe heel



H. A. STRUPP SHOE HEEL June 19, 1945.

Filedv June 28, 1944 Bvwcmbo/v .figg-9U f ward the sides of the heel.

Patented June 19, 1945 UNITEosTA-TES PATENT OFFICE SHOEHEEL Herbert August Strupp, Evansville, Ind.

Claims.

This invention relates to shoe heels, and more particularly to a shoe heel not operating as a shock-absorber but so constructed as to induce a normal exercising of the foot in Walking or rmore particularly described and claimed.

One sheet of drawing accompanies this specification as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout. y

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved heel;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and' Figure 3 is a medial vertical longitudinal crosssection taken online 3-3 of Figure 1.

'As herein illustrated, the heel is shown as a unitary device preferably constructed of rubber, which permits portions to be hardened by suitable treatment to a relatively noncompressible condition, while other, portions are cured to a relatively compressible state. Obviously, the heel can be constructed of different materials if desired and the compressible'and noncompressible portions associated by adhesives or in any other known manner. v

However constructed, the heel embodies a medial longitudinal extending rib of relatively noncompressible material extending from front to rear of the heel associated with relatively soft and compressible portions on each side of said rib and also extending the full length ofthe heel from front to rear, thus providinga noncompressible pivot line centrally ofthe heel, permitting the heel of the user to rock transversely resil` iently and thus exercises the `ankle joint vand promotes the spread and flow of the synovial iuid.

In the drawing, the heel in general is indicated at I and is shown formed with an upper layer 2 of relatively hard and noncompressible rubber, which layer is increasedin vthickness toward the 1 longitudinal centervof the heel until at a medial line of the heel this hardened portion extends the full depth of the heel, forming a central rib 3 extending thefull length of the heel from front to rear.' Preferably, and as herein illustrated,this

thickening of the hardened portion of the heel is gradual and on an arcuate line, so that the side portions 5 of relatively soft and c ompressible rubber are of progressivelyincreasing thickness from Vpoints adjacent the central hard rib to points adjacent the side of the heel, whereby the Application June 28, 1944, Serial No. 542,479

resiliency of the side portions 5 is increased tol Obviously, this. line of demarcation between the hard central portion of the heel and the soft side portion of the heel may be a straight line or any configuration desired, andthe upper layer 2 may be omitted and the side portions extend to the top of the heel at the sides.

With a heel constructedas thus described, it will be apparent that the heel of the foot ispermitted a resilient rolling movement to either side of the medial hard rib 3, both in walking and in standing, thus inducing a natural exercising of the ankle joint with the beneficial results indicated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A shoe heel having a medial longitudinal rib extending the full vlength and depth of the heel of a relatively noncompressible material and side portions extending from said rib tothe sides of the heel and extending longitudinally the full lengthof the heel, said side portions of a relatively compressible material to permit a resilient rocking of the heel on said medial rib.

2. A shoe heel having a medial longitudinal rib extending the full length and depth of the heel of a relatively noncompressible rubber and side portions extending from said rib to the sides of the heel formed integrally with said rib but of` manently associated with said layer and the opposite sides of said rib, said side layers formed of relatively co'mpressible material.

4. A rubber shoe heelhaving a top layer coextensive with the heel and a medial longitudinally extending portion hardened to a substantially noncompressible'condition and the longitudinally extending side portions cured to a relatively compressible condition, the medial longitudinal hardened part and said side parts having their outer faces in the bottom face and said parts separated by arcuate zones of demarcation whereby said heel is given a substantially rigid centralv lineof support extending from front to rear and relatively compressible side support increasing in compressibility from said central line outwardly to each side of the heel.

5. A shoe heel comprising a medial noncompressible portion extending from front to rear andthe full depth of the heel, the sides. of said portion inclined from the top of the heel inwardly toward the bottom face of said portion, with relatively ocmpressible side portions extending from front to rear the full length of the heel, said side portions permanently attached to said inclined sides of said medial portion.

HERBERT AUGUST STRUPP. 

